Pregg.net » Parenting

Assistance for low income families in need of diapers and baby products

PreggNet Team — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 08:53:13 +0000

Let’s face it – Being a new parent is hard. For all of us.
But it’s especially hard when the income is low for any reason – if it’s a permanent situation, or a temporary one.

The following link has a special offer for you, weather you’re broke, or just need a little help, which we all do at some point. It enables you to get lots of baby stuff – Formula samples, Diapers, Parenting Magazines filled with information and advice, and other items you may need for your new baby. All for free, no strings attached.

All you need to do is click here and enter your email & the baby’s due date (or birth date), and start getting these offers to your email. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Again, this offer is not only for needy families, we’re all having a hard times with the way the economy is lately, and low income families are not a rare case nowadays. Feel free to click and claim you free baby products now.

And don’t forget to pass this link on if you know any one who might need that little help.

Anthropology of the Due Date

PreggNet Team — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 08:35:12 +0000

So much mysticism and mythology surrounds the pregnancy due date. Much of the mysticism is held by physicians who hold on to the old ways of determining when a pregnant woman will deliver. Believe me, most physicians would love a way to determine the due date so we could plan our lives around the deliveries of our patients, but the truth is only 1-2% of women will actually deliver on their due date. So what determines a due date, and what is the difference between EDC (estimated date of confinement) and EDD (estimated date of delivery) and what the heck is Naegele’s Rule. This post will help show the origins of the due date and how we are currently using a system that is about 250 years old.

Franz Karl Naegele (1778-1851) was the German obstetrician who initially came up with the rule to determine a woman’s due date based on her last menstrual period (LMP). There are many ways to calculate Naegele’s Rule. I use the system where you take the LMP, add 7 days, and subtract three months. So if your LMP was April 1, 2009 then your due date would be January 8, 2010. You can impress your friends at parties with this maneuver. There are problems with Naegele’s Rule and many people have pointed out that this 250 year old method is no longer appropriate for our advanced age. What are some of the potential errors with calculating the EDC in this method?

It assumes that you are having a regular period and that you ovulate on day 14 of your cycle. I am a gynecologist and there are many women out there that have irregular cycles that ovulate on day 20, 25, 12, 15….you get my point. This obviously would add potential error to the EDC determination and could change things by days to weeks.

There is another assumption that the routine pregnancy is 280 days long and that is based on our current calendar system. The problem with this is that there are many months that contain 30 days or 31 days and what happens in a leap year, or if you are not pregnant over the shorter month of February. The point is that there is a movement out there that is trying to say that the number should be 288 days and that we are inducing women that have premature babies. A study done in 1990 stated that the proper method for determining a due date was to take the LMP, count back three months and add fifteen days for a primiparous (first pregnancy) woman or 10 days for a multiparous (subsequent births) woman. This was published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology.

There are many that argue this method of calculating the EDC is as archaic as the term EDC itself. Lending to the agrarian societies from whence it came, the EDC literally came from the fact that a woman was confined to her bed for the last part of her pregnancy to prevent preterm labor. While we still prescribe bedrest today as a possible therapy for preterm labor it does seem odd that the medical establishment uses terminology from the 1700’s.

The due date is as individual as the pregnant mother. While the EDC is currently calculated by Naegele’s Rule this does seem a bit archaic and inefficient; especially if we are using this dating method to determine inductions and postdatism. There have been other methods with increased accuracy but they require a woman to measure body temperatures and be move involved in her own self-care. Many reading this article are very involved with birth and feel as though self-care is very important, but there are many women out there that simply choose not to be observant of their own cycle. So, what do we “do” with the “due”. Unfortunately, I think we will keep going with the current system and back it up with ultrasounds which are accurate within 5 days if done in the first trimester.

Approximately 3% of so-called term births (occuring after 37 weeks) are completed with fetal lung immaturity and this could be because the baby may have been between 35-37 weeks and not term.

Are we too involved in the birthing process? Are there better ways to determine the pregnant due date or should we not worry wbout and just let man/woman be born in his own time. The latin word natura gives rise to the word natural and means “to be born”. Maybe we should just leave well enough alone.

Hands Off My Belly! The Pregnant Woman’s Survival Guide to Myths, Mothers, and Moods is for sale on Amazon and Barnes and Noble and at most brick and mortar stores.

About the writer

Shawn A. Tassone, M.D. author of “Hands Off My Belly! The Pregnant Woman’s Guide to Surviving Myths, Mothers, and Moods” – Mom’s Choice Gold Recipient and Arizona Book Publisher’s Glyph Award Winner.

How to start a mommy blog

PreggNet Team — Wed, 26 May 2010 09:21:24 +0000

Blogging has been around for a couple of years now, and while at the beginning it was just a digital version of a private journal, many mothers find it to be much more these days.

What do we mean by much more? well, we mean much much more. And yes we are talking about money, but not just money – a blog is a great way to socialize, learn, have a discussion, and basically make yourself (and others) a better parent. And who doesn’t want to be a better parent.

So how do you do that? We’ll subscribe to our Mommy Blogger Newsletter to get free information about blogging, software, tips & tricks on how to set up a blog, attract readers, and maybe even make a living out of it.

Also, don’t hesitate to contact us at hello@pregg.net and we’ll be happy to assist (no charge, it’s our pleasure!). If you send us an example post we might even open up a blog for you, take care of the technical stuff, and even pay you if it goes well.

What are you waiting for? Go for it now!

The Perfect Timing – Optimal Pregnancy Intervals

PreggNet Team — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 11:36:22 +0000

Ok, we’ll start you off with what you came for: The perfect interval between pregnancies is… 2 years, according to a new research.

The research was conducted with about 500,000 women, and it seems like getting pregnant again too fast might be dangerous for both the mother and the baby, and increases the chance of early birth and other complications.
It is recommended to wait at least 11 motnhs between births, but not more than 5 years, which increases the chances for a premature birth by almost %40.

The perfect interval, as mentioned is about 2 years between births, which takes all the risks and benefits in to accounts.

How to Tuck Your Baby In and Sleep a Whole Night

PreggNet Team — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 11:35:41 +0000

Yeah, this is the million dollar question. How do you get your baby to sleep a whole night without waking you up every single hour?

It seems like parents are so used and most of them are so warned about sleep loss once the new baby comes, that they just give up in advance. But it doesn’t have to be like that. There are things you can do, believe me.

Sometimes you won’t feel like doing them, because you are lazy, or not really convinced that they would work. But the truth is, if you follow some of these steps, you won’t only enjoy a full night sleep, you will also provide a healthier life to your baby, and probably become a better parent. how is that, you ask?

Well, there’s no need to stress how important sleep is. Research shows this is a fact over and over again. We feel better when we sleep well, we work better when we sleep well, wee are more patient, and obviously more energetic.

We are also more relaxed, more aware, and more alert, which makes us better parents, and provide a happier, safer environment for our baby.

So let get to business –

What Can You Do to Make Your Baby sleep Better?

According to many book and experts, the most important thing is to create a routine. Doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you do every night with a strict routine. This make the mind get ready to fall asleep.

What should this routine include? Here are some ideas.

Rocking Chair

Yeah, you know how this works. It’s a classic addition to the routine, but make sure to put the baby in his bed or cradle before he falls asleep, otherwise they might get used to falling asleep on your lap, which mean they will need you to rock them every night for a long long time.

A Soft Towel

Wouldn’t you love to be wrapped in a warm cozy towel every night after bath time, and before bed time?
Well, guess what, your baby does, too.
That’s a great addition to the routing, especially if followed by some rocking chair quality time.

The Art of Baby Story Telling

Ok, you think you know this one, but you don’t.
The best stories to tell little toddlers and babies are repetitive short stories. Preferably one you remember by heart. And if you’re a little creative, adding “hooks” are a great addition – hooks an be certain words that are repeated throughout the story and are emphasized by intonation, a melody, or a funny voice.

That’s why lullabies work, by the way. Experiment with those too – measure the time it takes to get your baby to sleep with each different lullaby, and abandon the ones that work less.

When you find the perfect lullaby or two – repeat them. Looping is the key.

Shh… Sleeping Baby

Some babys can sleep in a very noisy environment, but don’t take chances. Try to minimize noises when your baby is sleeping, and try to minimize checking up on her/him.

Baby Monitors

That might help the latter.

The Good Kind of Noise

I’m talking about white noise of course.
It is known to help babies and grown up to sleep, relax or even focus, as it drowns other noises.
Ocean sounds could also work, of course.
Better keep the sounds going, by the way, as a silent room might make it easier for the baby to go back to sleep if he wakes up in the middle of the night. And you know what that means, mommy (or daddy!) – blissful sleep!

The perfect Weather

So you can’t control the weather outside, but what you could do is control how the baby room feels.
Temperature in the room must be perfect.
Make sure they are wearing the perfect confortable clothes, and make sure to only tuck them in when the bed or cradle is in the perfect temperature.

Mobiles

Babies love to look at things while they are falling asleep, kinda like we like watching TV. It’s better when it’s something that’s interesting, repetitive but not to stimulating, so it’s hypnotic and helps the little one fall asleep.
When they grow older make sure to get the mobile a little further, so they can’t touch it, just watch.

Now, good night dear babies and parents!

Baby Bathtubs – What to Buy (and Where)

PreggNet Team — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 10:48:36 +0000

So, it’s time to buy a bathtub for your baby. You don’t want to find that it’s bath time, and there’s no bath, don’t you?

So here are few tips we’ve gathered for you, to make some decisions easier for ya. So let start with an obvious question –

Why not wash the baby in our regular bath?

Assuming you have a regular bath, of course, this is probably on the best idea. At least as long as your baby is younger than 6 months and still can’t sit without your assistance (or at all).

And, as you know, bad ideas could turn very quickly into dangerous ideas when we’re talking about babys.

A bathtub that was manufactured with baby (and parents) in mind are probably a better and safer choice, which could probably make washing your baby into an easier experience, plus might help prevent back aches.

So what kind of baby tub am I looking for?

The truth is it doesn’t really matter. As long as it is a babytub, you are basically covered. The only job the bath has to do is hold water, just like a big bowl.

Of course, you have thousands of ideas, gimmicks and so on, but don’t worry about getting a regular bath tubs if those fancy designs aren’t really your thing.

Do note that inflatable, collapsable or foldable tubs are better for storage and for caring around, but are probably less stable in most cases, so it might be a good idea to have both kinds – a stuff plastic one for home, and another one for travel.

OK, it’s bath time! Enjoy!

Should You Be Breastfeeding While Pregnant?

PreggNet Team — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:10:29 +0000

There is a belief that breast feeding will protect from pregnancy. But it is not so, many women become pregnant while breast feeding. Lots of women think that they have to wean their baby because of getting pregnant during breast feeding, but it is not necessary. You just have to decide to nurse both the babies after pregnancy.

The following are some facts that you have to know about breast feeding during pregnancy and decide upon:
• It might stimulate uterine contractions and in very few cases it might lead to miscarriage.
If you have already undergone a miscarriage or you feel unusual uterine contractions then it is wise to stop feeding by consulting this with your doctor.
• You will experience more fatigue, but you can overcome this by rest more.
• You will have to eat more nutritious foods to support the unborn baby’s nutritional need.
• Your nipples may become more tender than normal and you can overcome this discomfort by shifting your baby’s position.
• You will feel that the amount of breast milk supply is getting decreased during your second trimester. Hence at this stage, you to take more nutritious food to feed your baby.
• Sometimes the taste of the breast milk may get changed and it may not be liked by some babies.

How Your Baby Could Get Smarter Without Commercial IQ Scams

PreggNet Team — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:15:59 +0000

From 2-6 years of age your toddler needs to develop and boost his imagination skills. As a parent you should encourage your kid to be creative, imaginative and curious, which in turn will help him understand processes, and develop a better grasp of logic.

Read on to find out some creative yet free ways to encourage a smart toddler.

First, rather than buying piles of stuff and bucket of an assortment of toys, try to convert a part of your house in a conductive way for your child’s needs. This will encourage active learning in your toddler. Provide him with sand, clay and water to create structures, this helps to boost creative skills in youngsters. Toddlers explore more with simple and cheap toys. So, don’t bother to buy expensive toys who are more often than not mind-numbing and comfortable more than engaging and interesting.
Bonus: A curious toddler would spend more time building, disassembling and fiddling around than craving your constant attention.

Next, Set up a separate area for reading books for your toddler. To encourage learning it is best to choose furniture scaled down for them, this way parents will encourage the kids to use the area more often. Make sure the books are interesting, not just what is trendy and best sellers. Even if your child is to young to read, and even if he’s a baby – pictures can tell a story better than words. You can even write your own story!

Another idea is not to buy those damn children videos. It is recommended that your child’s Video or DVD library items would be chosen with the same respect and consideration as yours. Try to focus on videos that are suitable for children, rather than ones who are made for children (or at least keep a good ratio between them), such as nature videos, National Geographic, Discovery, etc.
Encourage your child to operate the video or DVD himself, this will not only save you time now, but will help your offspring deal better with technical problems in the future without requiring your assistance.

Buying an art activity desk can encourage drawing and innovative skills. An art activity desk includes table, chair, drawing sheets, pencils, and colors. This activity desk would not cost you more than $10.

It’s always best to set up an area that encourages learning and games, spend time with your toddler while they explore and discover, and make sure they focus on beneficial activities. You don’t necessarily have to spend more money to raise a smart kid, just spend it right.

Maternity Leave for Men

PreggNet Team — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 12:12:55 +0000

Maternity leave for men allows to take a break from their work and spend time with their new born. Unlike maternity leaves for women, Men’s leaves are not taken for granted, and thus, not paid in most of the world.

In recent years, many companies are providing paid maternity leaves for expected dads. As per U.S laws, if the expected father is working with a company comprised of more than 50 co-workers, he can take 12 week of unpaid leave to celebrate the birth of the child. Before taking leave, expected father should notify the company 30 days in advance. And fear not, you will be getting your paychecks to support your family.

Maternity leave allows a father to take care of his new born and wife after her delivery. The length of the leave of women is 45 days to 150 days but for men it’s considerably shorter. For example- in UK where mothers are allowed to take leave for 10-12 weeks, whilst father can take two week leave only.

The importance of Maternity leave for men – Childcare can be equally divided among parents.
Leave encourages the father to develop the necessary skills, such as changing nappies, preparing food or bathing.
It helps to develop meaningful relationships with his new born.

Sweden is one of the most generous countries when it comes to maternity leave form men.
As parents to a new born in Sweden, every couple gets 480 days of paid maternity leave, which they can use for the first 8 years of the child’s life.
60 days out of those 480 are reserved for the daddy, and the rest of the 420 are up to the couple to decide – they can use it for the new happy mommy, or for the daddy, or share them.

The interesting fact is, even though about 80% of paid maternity leaves are still taken by moms, the high amount of young children, babies and infants that spend their first years with they’re fathers around show that it it has positive affect (according to many researches) on the relationship that is formed between the child and the parents (not just the dad!).

Baby Health: Two Symptoms You Should Be Really Worried About

PreggNet Team — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:53:35 +0000

There are few symptoms that should be observed carefully and treated on time for your baby. Don’t let your baby suffer from serious health hazards.

The most common health problem in babies – Dehydration
Dehydration in babies occurs when the amount of fluid required in your infants body is missing. Babies typically lose the fluid through vomiting, diarrhea, fever, or perspiration.
The symptoms which can indicate dehydration in babies:

No urine passed within six hours.
Appearance of urine: urine is dark yellow.
Mouth turns dry

When you suspect dehydration symptoms –

Consult your pediatrician immediately
Electrolyte liquid drink – give your baby this drink to avoid dehydration.
Don’t give sports drink.

Symptom number two: Colic.

Continuous crying of your baby should not be misunderstood as serious colic. Colic crying is an abdominal pain or cramps that occur in babies whose digestive systems are still growing. Babies cry as long as three to four hours for several weeks. When the baby is 15-20 days old, the symptoms of colic can be observed.

How to avert colic symptoms:

Consult your pediatrician.
Play nursery rhymes- This will help your baby to sleep and avert pain.
Massage- when babies turn restless it’s advised to provide massage over stomach in clockwise direction.